Sound of Music

When the Swedish trio of Ulrika Tenstam,tenor Mats Carlsson and pianist Michael Engstrom took to the stage at India International Centre on Friday,it was to transport the audience to an autumnal Scandinivian evening. The event marked the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Week,and comprised operatic songs and folk music among others.

Beginning with the Swedish folk song When I’m walking by myself in the pine forest by romantic composer Wilhelm Peterson-Berger sung by Carlsson,the repertoire also comprised arias from the French opera “Carmen”,with Tenstam playing the haughty protagonist. Next,after a swift change of dress,Tenstam — who was earlier kitted out in pink— breezed onto the stage in a shimmering golden gown and launched into a vigorous waltz,singing Can’t help lovin’ dat man of mine from popular American musical “Showboat” . Even before the audience finished clapping,Tenstam trailed into the adventures of the spirited Maria von Trapp from “The Sound of Music” with the song Climb Every Mountain . “Few people know that Bjorn Ulvaeus,one of the members of the group Abba,also wrote a musical Chess in 1986,” said Carlsson before treating the audience to a rendition of Anthem from the musical. The group took a bow with You and I from “Chess” ,before calls for an encore brought them back on stage,finishing off with the haunting All I ask of you from “The Phantom Of The Opera.”